Yes
by ACE Albert
Summary: A short prequel to "To Explain a Skeleton." It's rarely good news when Erik breaks into Nadir's place at 3 o'clock in the morning...


_**Dedicated to**__ my fantastic beta reader, source of inspiration, and great friend, ____michellemybelle25, and my sister, Wandering-Recluse._

-**  
Yes  
**_A prequel to "To Explain a Skeleton"_  
-

"Yes!" Erik roared, pounding the table emphatically. "Nadir, I said yes!"

For his part, Nadir was rather befuddled and extremely irritated. Considering that it was 3 AM and he'd been sleeping soundly until he was rudely shaken awake a minute ago by a quivering, maniacally grinning Erik, his feelings were really quite justified.

With an effort, Nadir tamped down his rising irritation (it wouldn't do to lose his temper, especially not now with the very real possibility that Erik had finally gone mad) and implored, sympathetically, "Erik, is something wrong?"

"No, you great booby!" Erik growled, advancing and looming over the seated Persian menacingly. "Upon my word," he continued, puffing and blowing like a walrus, "you don't seem to be able to take a hint!"

Nadir gulped.

Suddenly Erik appeared to relapse into a bout of joviality. "Old chap," he said genially, "sometimes I fear you believe we are still in Mazenderan!" And he chuckled - actually chuckled. "Yes, you must remember, once and for all - once and for all, I say - that we are in better times now."

The poor Persian wasn't sure what to think.

"And now," Erik continued earnestly, smiling, "where are my congratulations?"

"Er, well, um," said Nadir intelligently, deciding it might be best to just go along and humor Erik. "That is, I mean to say, congratulations?"

Erik rolled his eyes. "Nadir," he said, in the tones of a man with great patience, "you don't understand. For she loves me! All this will end in a marriage - a marriage at the Madeleine, old chap! Wait till you hear the Kyrie..." Here he broke off, a dreamy smile playing at his lips.

"By Allah!" cried the Persian, eyes round, hardly daring to believe it, "You don't mean to say you finally proposed to her?"

Erik had been a nervous wreck for months about proposing to his beloved. The Persian could hardly believe that he might, at last, no longer need to continually reassure Erik that Christine would say yes no matter _how_ he proposed.

"Well," Erik fidgeted, "that is to say, not exactly..."

"Then what did you wake me up for?" Nadir burst out, finally having reached his limit.

"No, you don't understand," Erik started, "I was going to do it! Exactly as we discussed. Everything was perfect. The ring was in my pocket. I was going to propose." He paused.

"And...?" pressed Nadir.

"Well," Erik paused again, then grinned. "Nadir, old chap, our plans were wasted. Christine went ahead and proposed to me. You are now looking at the future Monsieur Daaé!"

Nadir's eyes bugged out. "Y- you- you- wha- she- _she_ proposed to _you_?"

Erik smiled again (an expression which still looked strange on him). "You can't believe I am loved for my own sake?" he said with mock hurt.

It took a minute for Nadir to realize Erik was actually _joking_ with him. Christine was definitely a good influence on Erik.

"My utmost congratulations," he said heartily, clapping Erik on the back and shaking off his initial surprise at Christine proposing. "I couldn't be happier for the both of you."

And it was true, as Nadir reflected later, after Erik had finally gone home. It was unheard of for a woman to propose to a man, but as long as both Erik and Christine were happy with the arrangement, who was he to complain?

It wasn't until much later that Nadir remembered that something else had seemed odd about what Erik had said. "You are now looking at the future Monsieur Daaé," Erik had exclaimed. Now why would that be o- wait, _future Monsieur Daaé_?

"Erik," groaned Nadir, shaking his head in pity for his friend. He'd never have expected it of Erik - but then, who could have known that Erik would be loved for his own sake? Life could be strange, Nadir mused, but, Allah be praised, it seemed his friend finally had all that he richly deserved.


End file.
